The Daily 3: 3 heart-related news stories you missed last week

Good Monday morning! It's
a big week for the American Heart Association here in central Alabama. On
Wednesday, the first round of Red
Couch tour stops will be released! You'll be able to follow along at
FollowThatCouch.com, here on The Heart Beat, or on Twitter via the #FollowThatCouch
hashtag.

Until then, we still have
a Monday to conquer. As is our tradition here at The Heart Beat, we lead off
the week by highlighting three health-related news stories you may have missed
over the past seven days:

Seattle
Times – Smoking is even worse than you thought: Last week, Dr. Boris Lushniak, acting surgeon general here in the
U.S., expanded the list of diseases that are scientifically linked to cigarette
smoking. Diabetes, colorectal cancer, liver cancer, vision loss and several
more ailments are now linked to smoking, which has long been identified as a
key risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, stroke and many other forms of
cancer. The new report comes roughly 50 years after that first famous study –
also released by the surgeon general – linking smoking to lung cancer.

Lewis Black said it best when he said that, "When I was a kid [they] said eggs were good...then said they were bad, then they actually said that the yellows were bad and the whites were - MAKE UP YOUR MIND! It's breakfast, we gotta eat."Wikimedia Commons

Cleveland
Clinic – Healthy or unhealthy? Here are 5 foods we're unsure about: No, this isn't link-baiting...we're pretty sure the Cleveland Clinic
is above that practice. Their experts have identified five foods that, though
often perceived as being unhealthy, actually have known health benefits. We're
pretty sure you'll be happy with this list: Eggs, nuts, chocolate, potatoes and
soy.

CNN
– Flu season may have peaked: Last
week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported "widespread"
flu activity in 35 states across the country, indicating that the peak of the
annual season may be here...or may have already passed us by. "Widespread" is
defined as more than 50 percent of counties and municipalities in a given state
reporting flu activity. This year, H1N1...a.k.a. "swine flu"...has been the most
common strain.

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following us Facebook, Twitter,Pinterest and Instagram. Text HEALTH to 27722 for healthy lifestyle
tips and heart healthy information on the go! Links on this blog are not
endorsements.